Columbia Woman Uses Business to Clean for a Reason

COLUMBIA - For Jennifer Faddis, the crew from Personal Touch Cleaning Services, makes a visit to her house to make life a little easier. It's no longer so simple for this wife and mother of two to take care of her home.

"I really didn't think it was going to be anything, so I was quite surprised to find out that I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 38," Faddis said.

She discovered her cancer at an early stage, but its aggressive nature led doctors to treat it with surgery and chemotherapy.

"After chemo treatments especially usually for a week to a week and a half there's a lot of side effects that can really drag you down," she said.

That's where Sue Riley and her Personal Touch cleaning crew come in, to clean up when Faddis can't.

"So we want to make that easier for them, one less stress in their life, one less thing that they have to deal with, giving them the gift of a clean home, and if we can do that then I think that we have achieved something," she said.

Riley started providing the service after learning about a national organization leading this effort, called Cleaning for a Reason, from a client who called to see if she was a part of it. "Within 24 hours I was signed up," she said.

She pays a monthly fee to the group and cleans for free for at least two clients a month.

"This is something that clearly no one has to do and the fact that Sue's company does this out of the goodness of their own heart for no financial gain to help people like me, I think that's a real blessing," Faddis said.

Riley still pays her workers, but takes no pay herself. She's in it for a different reward.

"I think we are expected to give back. I don't think that we are supposed to be hoarders of anything good that we have. I think we're supposed to give to others. So, that's why we do it," she said.

This service does take some extra emotional elbow grease to provide. "When the word cancer is mentioned it scares us all doesn't it?"At one time, Riley lost three clients to cancer in three months.

"Anytime you open yourself up to anyone there's a risk that you take and for us it's getting close, but for us we feel like it's worth it," she said.

Riley's stress pales to what Faddis faces, with an unknown timeline of ongoing treatments, so these compassionate cleaners hope to do their part to ease her mind.

"When you can relax in a house that's been cleaned for you, it's just really wonderful," Faddis said.

It's a wonderful blessing thanks to a selfless woman devoted to her community, and keeping clean.

Riley's is the only cleaning business in Columbia that offers the Cleaning for a Reason service according to the organization's website. To see what businesses are a part of this group near your home, click here. For more information on the organization or how you can get involved, click here.